Capitol’s anthrax scare
shuts 12 Senate offices
By Martin Merzer & James Kuhnhenn
Knight Ridder Newspapers
WASHINGTON (KRT) — Hun
dreds of Capitol employees submit
ted to tests on Tuesday for possible
exposure to anthrax — and other
lethal diseases — and began taking
antibiotics after scientists confirmed
that deadly anthrax spores contami
nated a Senate office building.
Authorities closed 12 Senate of
fices and an entire wing of the eight
story Hart Senate Office Building
pending an inspection of the ventila
tion system. Congressional employ
ees formed long fines for nasal-swab
tests and medication.
“Now, we know we are dealing
with an actual anthrax situation,”
said Lt. Dan Nichols, a spokesman
for the Capitol police force.
As a further precaution, federal
health officials said, congressional
employees and others possibly ex
posed elsewhere to anthrax were
being screened for additional dis
eases that might have spread.
The anthrax scare reached the
Capitol on Monday when an aide to
Majority Leader Tom Daschle, D
S.D., opened a tainted letter and
white powder spilled out. No Capi
tol employee has developed symp
toms of the disease or tested posi
tive for it, police said.
No additional cases were report
ed in New York or Florida, and the
infant son of an ABC News produc
er is recovering from an anthrax
skin infection. So is a 73-year-old
Florida man who has the more dan
gerous respiratory version.
However, two more people were
hospitalized in South Florida and
tested for anthrax — an 8-year-old
boy with a suspicious skin infec
tion and a 23-year-old former intern
at American Media Inc., the Boca
Raton, Fla., company that first con
fronted anthrax.
Authorities do not know who sent
the anthrax. The strain found in
some of the cases was extremely po
tent, an indication that those respon
sible had access to sophisticated sci
entific knowledge and equipment,
according to lawmakers briefed by
law enforcement officials.
In New Jersey, two Trenton-area
postal workers who feared they had
been exposed to the disease tested
negative, a spokesman for the
state’s Department of Health and
Senior Services said.
FBI Director Robert Mueller said
the FBI had received more than
2,300 reports this month of suspect
ed incidents involving anthrax or
other dangerous substances, and
nearly all were false alarms or
fakes. At the State Department, one
report Tuesday of suspicious pow
der in a bathroom turned out to be a
cleanser.
Knight Ridder Newspapers correspondents
Seth Borenstein in Washington & Tom Avril
in Trenton, N.J. contributed to this report.
©2001, Knight Ridder/Tribune
Information Services.
Multicultural Events
Wednesday, Oct. 17
Recital: Russian-born pianist Sophia
Gilmson performs Bach's famous
“Goldberg Variations" on both piano
and harpsichord. 8 p.m. Beall Hall.
$7 general admission; $4 students
and senior citizens.
Monday, Oct. 22
Humanities reading: Center for
Asian and Pacific Studies presents
author Chen Chen reading from
“Come Watch the Sun Go Home/'
Noon. Browsing Room, Knight
Library. Free.
Tuesday, Oct. 23
Film series: The 1987 Chinese release
“Red Sorghum" is part of the “War!"
series of films shown in their original
languages with English subtitles.
7 p.m. 122 Pacific. Free.
A 16mm Ski & Snowboard film
produced by,
■eDOVl
Wed, Oct 17th
7:00pm, WIL100
Gear will be raffled off!
• HID lighting
• Hydroponic
supply
• Organic soil
• Territorial seeds
Aqua
Serene
• Quality
merchandise
• Great prices
• Unbeatable
service
• Tropical house
plant seeds
Hydroponics
o 2836 W. 11th St. 302-9073
is 11:00-6:00, 7 days/week
AQUA SERENE
your fish's dream
West Coast’s
all fish pet shop
Salt Water llwkf
Red Bellied P»Mh(ftdJ<
NW Largest Reef Tank
20 Gat combo $65
50 Gal combo $99
75 Gal combo $245
135 Gal combo $345
<combo includes talk, lid & tight >
AQUA SERF.NF.
2836 W. 11th St. 485-2171
introducing..
UO Bookstore
Open Thursday evenings 'til 9:00 p.m.
stay up past your bedtime and come see...
Watercolor Painting with David Goodman
FREE! * October I8th * 6-8 pm * Downstairs
UNIVERSITY of OREGON ._,
BOOKSTORE (541) 346-4331 or log on to www.uobookstore.
com
r
ARE YOU IN THE DORMS?
could be your view!
Sprint will lease property
from Williams Bakery for a
120 foot tall cell tower
next to the dorms
without students making a stand
CALL:
ASUO 346-0624
Williams Bakery 485-8211
Eugene City Councilor
David Kelly 686-3343
Office of UO President 346-3036